Moderate Risk Research Articles

Flood hazard zonation using GIS-based multi-parametric Analytical Hierarchy Process

Flood is considered to be a serious environmental hazard, especially in the tropical countries owing to its devastating consequence on human life. Tripura, a small hilly state of northeast India has faced large scale flood events over the last few decades. The present study is an attempt to identify flood hazard zones along the lower course of the Dhalai River flowing through the Dhalai District of Tripura State. An integrated approach of remote sensing and GIS coupled together with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to identify the flood hazard zones of the study area and nine parameters were selected for this purpose. Thematic maps of the parameters were reclassified after assigning ranks to different classes. A pair-wise comparison matrix among all the parameters was prepared using AHP to determine the relative weight of each parameter. Finally, flood hazard zoning (FHZ) map of the study area was prepared by multiplying the reclassified values with the weighted values using raster calculator of Arc GIS 10.1. The outcome of the study revealed that 109.69 km2 (27.65%) of the study area fall under low flood risk category. At the same time, around 114.46 km2 (28.85%) and 90.43 km2 (22.80%) areas fall under moderate and high flood risk zone respectively. The study also disclosed that the high risk zone has maximum concentration of agricultural land (68.63%) and settled area (9.77%) in comparison to the other two zones which has increased vulnerability of flood hazard. The results validated the efficiency of AHP technique in generating fast and cost effective information regarding flood hazard assessment, especially in no data regions. Hence, the derived information could be very much helpful for the planners to prepare proper strategies to reduce the vulnerability of this hazard.

[Spatiotemporal Distribution and Source Analysis of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments in Lake Ulansuhai Based on PCA-APCS-MLR Model].

To explore the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of heavy metals in the surface sediments of lakes in cold regions during ice-sealing and non-ice-sealing periods, we analyzed the potential ecological risk degree and the pollution sources. A total of 20 sampling sites in Lake Ulansuhai in cold regions were collected from 2020 to 2021, and 120 surface sediment samples were collected during different periods. The contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Hg were determined. Correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and the absolute factor score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) receptor model were used to trace the source of heavy metal pollution. The results showed that:① the distribution of heavy metals in lake surface sediments was different between the ice-sealing period and the non-ice-sealing period. The distribution of heavy metals during the ice-sealing period was higher in the north and lower in the south. Cd and Hg were mainly distributed in the central and southern lakes during the non-glacial period. ② Hg, Cd, and As were moderately polluted, and Ni was mildly polluted in the surface sediments of the lake. The overall performance was at a high risk level, and the pollution level during the non-ice-sealing period was higher than that during the ice-sealing period. The main environmental risk factors were Hg and Cd, which showed high risk and moderate risk, respectively. ③ The sources of heavy metals in lake surface sediments were mainly industrial sources from mining and transportation, agricultural sources, and natural sources. As, Ni, Pb, and Hg were mainly affected by industrial sources, with contribution rates of 62.67%, 75.31%, 77.47%, and 80.11%, respectively. The main sources of Cu and Zn were natural sources, and Cd was greatly affected by agricultural sources. The contribution rate was 81.57%. The source of Cr was mainly affected by natural factors, and the influence of human activities and unknown sources require further attention.

Anxiety, depression, and alcohol use disorder in dermatologists: relationship with burnout and associated risk factors.

Burnout syndrome is a mental health condition related to chronic occupational stress; its prevalence, as well as its relationship with other mental health disorders in physicians, has become a topic of growing interest. However, no studies with large sample sizes evaluate this association in dermatologists. With this background, a cross-sectional study was designed, which included 420 Spanish dermatologists; the mean age was 44.5 years (12.39), and 62% (260/420) were women. Eleven percent (45/420) of the participants presented a moderate risk of burnout, more than half of the sample had at least one of the burnout symptoms, 47% (198/420) had some degree of anxiety, and 20.3% (85/420) presented some degree of depression. Less than 1% (4/420) demonstrated a high risk of alcohol use disorder. Being female was associated with a higher risk of depression and anxiety. Meanwhile, men and residents showed an increasedrisk of alcohol use disorder. Burnout and its domains showed a significative association with depression and anxiety, while no relationship with alcohol abuse was observed.

[Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Antibiotic Contamination in Oujiang River Basin in Southern Zhejiang Province].

Antibiotic pollution in the environment has a negative impact on ecosystem security. Taking the Oujiang River Basin as an example,high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry(LC-MS)was used to detect the concentration of six classes of 35 antibiotics in the surface water of the southern Zhejiang River Basin. The concentration level and spatial distribution of antibiotics were analyzed,the risk of antibiotics to ecology and human health were assessed using relevant models,and the sources of antibiotics were discussed. The results showed that in 20 sampling sites,a total of four classes of 12 antibiotics were detected,including sulfonamides,quinolones,tetracyclines,and lincosamides. The total concentration was ND-1 018 ng·L-1. The highest detection rate was that of Lincomycin(90.48%),followed by that of sulfapyridine(38.10%). The three antibiotics with the highest average concentrations were ofloxacin(12.49 ng·L-1),Lincomycin(11.08 ng·L-1),and difloxacin(7.38 ng·L-1). Antibiotics in the basin showed mainly spotty pollution,which had large spatial differentiation. The average concentration of antibiotics in the upstream(54.39 ng·L-1)was higher than that mid-downstream(46.64 ng·L-1). The degree of antibiotic pollution from upstream to downstream showed a characteristic of being "sparse in the upstream and dense in the downstream. " This indicated that the concentration of antibiotics in the upstream was significantly different,whereas the pollution degree of antibiotics in the downstream was uniform. The upstream was mainly polluted by health,livestock,and poultry breeding wastewater emissions,and downstream pollution was mainly caused by densely populated activities and the rapid development of economy,trade,and industry. The ecological risk assessment results showed that the upstream site H6 had the highest risk quotient,ofloxacin and enrofloxacin had high risk levels, and lincomycin had a moderate risk level. Health risk assessment results showed that the Oujiang River surface water antibiotics posed no risk to human health.

Drug Efficacy in the Treatment of Antipsychotic-Induced Akathisia

Antipsychotic-induced akathisia (AIA) occurs in 14% to 35% of patients treated with antipsychotics and is associated with increased suicide and decreased adherence in patients with schizophrenia. However, no comprehensive review and network meta-analysis has been conducted to compare the efficacy of treatments for AIA. To compare the efficacy associated with AIA treatments. Three databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) were systematically searched by multiple researchers for double-blind randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing active drugs for the treatment of AIA with placebo or another treatment between May 30 and June 18, 2023. Selected studies were RCTs that compared adjunctive drugs for AIA vs placebo or adjunctive treatment in patients treated with antipsychotics fulfilling the criteria for akathisia, RCTs with sample size of 10 patients or more, only trials in which no additional drugs were administered during the study, and RCTs that used a validated akathisia score. Trials with missing data for the main outcome (akathisia score at the end points) were excluded. Data extraction and synthesis were performed, estimating standardized mean differences (SMDs) through pairwise and network meta-analysis with a random-effects model. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed. The primary outcome was the severity of akathisia measured by a validated scale at the last available end point. Fifteen trials involving 492 participants compared 10 treatments with placebo. Mirtazapine (15 mg/d for ≥5 days; SMD, -1.20; 95% CI, -1.83 to -0.58), biperiden (6 mg/d for ≥14 days; SMD, -1.01; 95% CI, -1.69 to -0.34), vitamin B6 (600-1200 mg/d for ≥5 days; SMD, -0.92; 95% CI, -1.57 to -0.26), trazodone (50 mg/d for ≥5 days; SMD, -0.84; 95% CI, -1.54 to -0.14), mianserin (15 mg/d for ≥5 days; SMD, -0.81; 95% CI, -1.44 to -0.19), and propranolol (20 mg/d for ≥6 days; SMD, -0.78; 95% CI, -1.35 to -0.22) were associated with greater efficacy than placebo, with low to moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 34.6%; 95% CI, 0.0%-71.1%). Cyproheptadine, clonazepam, zolmitriptan, and valproate did not yield significant effects. Eight trials were rated as having low risk of bias; 2, moderate risk; and 5, high risk. Sensitivity analyses generally confirmed the results for all drugs except for cyproheptadine and propranolol. No association between effect sizes and psychotic severity was found. In this systematic review and network meta-analysis, mirtazapine, biperiden, and vitamin B6 were associated with the greatest efficacy for AIA, with vitamin B6 having the best efficacy and tolerance profile. Trazodone, mianserin, and propranolol appeared as effective alternatives with slightly less favorable efficacy and tolerance profiles. These findings should assist prescribers in selecting an appropriate medication for treating AIA.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing: Personal Views Regarding the Invasiveness of Trophectoderm Biopsy and Risks on Embryos Development “An Operators Survey”

This study aims to assess the Trophectoderm (TE) biopsy practice in Jordan in terms of the following effectiveness parameters: timing of zona breaching, risk of inner cell mass herniation if zona breaching was done on day 3, timing of TE sampling, method of biopsy (pulling or flicking), number of laser pulses, assessment of embryo survival after biopsy, and degeneration rate. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in November 2022. The collected data presented the perception of embryologists (>10 years experience) about the difficulty of the technique and the awareness of the risks it imposes on embryonic development. Potential predictors of embryologists’ awareness of the risks of trophectoderm biopsy in preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and procedure difficulty were investigated. 125 embryologists were eligible, and 72 (57.6%) adequately filled the questionnaire, of which 51 (70.8%) perceived the procedure as moderately difficult. However, 8 (11.1%) embryologists perceive it as very difficult. Regarding the preferred time of zona breaching, 39 (54.2%) of embryologists perform zona breaching on day 5 of embryonic life. 68% claim they primarily use flicking when performing TE biopsy. Moreover, 33 (45.8%) of the 72 surveyed embryologists claimed they use 2-3 laser pulses, and 56 (77.8%) claimed it takes 2 to 3 minutes to finish the procedure. Regarding the embryologists’ awareness of the risk of Inner Cell Mass (ICM) herniation, most embryologists 46 (64%) believed there is a moderate risk if zona breaching is done on day 3. 23 (32%) acknowledge the procedure as having a low risk for embryonal development. 29 (40.3%) of embryologists assess survival by checking the re-expansion of the biopsied blastocyst after 2 hours, while 18% check blastocyst re-expansion after 15 minutes. 39 (54.2%) claimed that the incidence of degeneration rate post-TE biopsy is rare. TE biopsy strategy is one of the most promising biopsy techniques in PGT. Most embryologists in Jordan perceive the procedure as moderately difficult due to the technical considerations involved in performing the optimum TE biopsy.

[For which patients do the latest lipid lowering treatments reduce cardiovascular events?]

Dyslipidemia is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Recommendations are based on achieving LDL-C target levels, but it is essential to assess the benefits of intensifying lipid-lowering therapy in terms of absolute risk reduction of cardiovascular events across different risk groups. Current data on the absolute benefits of the latest lipid-lowering treatments are more limited in comparison with statins. A recent analysis showed that adding a second lipid-lowering treatment only reduces the absolute cardiovascular risk in patients at very high and high cardiovascular risk, without a substantial benefit in patients at moderate or low cardiovascular risk, as mentioned in the recent recommendations free of conflict of interest and published in the British Medical Journal.

Energy and Nutrient Uptake of School–going Adolescents in Upland and Riverine Region, Nigeria: Relationship with Body Dimensions

Undernutrition among school-going adolescents is a prevalent public health concern. Inadequate energy and nutrient intakes has been reported among this age group, who are usually not targets of many intervention programs. The study assessed anthropometric parameters; energy and nutrient intakes of school-going adolescents aged 10 -19years, and compared the relationship between both variables within the three phases of adolescence. The study involved multistage random sampling of 418 school-going adolescents for anthropometry. A subsample of 40 respondents was used for a 3-day weighed food intake. Frequency, means, standard deviation, analysis of variance, and correlation were used to analyze the data obtained. Significance was accepted at p< 0.05. The study was made up of 226 male and 192 female adolescents within ages 10 – 19 years. Carbohydrate, calcium and zinc intakes contributed less than 100% of RNI for age and sex of subjects. Most of the subjects had normal BMI, however, the prevalence of thinness and underweight was 23.4% and 26.6% among the study subjects, respectively. Low fat store as defined by triceps skinfold (TSF) was 58.9% among the respondents, subscapula skinfold (SSF) indicated high fat stores in 41.1% of the respondents. Moderate and high health risks were detected among 23.9% and 19.2% of the respondents, respectively. Correlations were observed between energy intake with MUAC (r=0.417, p <0.01), protein intake with TSF (r = 0.358, p <0.05), fat intake with SSF (r = 0.324, p < 0.05), iron intake with TSF(r = 0.356, p <0.05), and iron intake with SSF (r = 0.322, p < 0.05) of the respondents. Inadequate nutrient intakes, thinness, underweight and health risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases were present among the respondents.

Patterns of social-affective responses to trauma exposure and their relation to psychopathology.

Traumatic event exposure is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of psychopathology. Social-affective responses to trauma exposure (e.g. shame, guilt, revenge, social alienation) could moderate this relationship, but little is known about their relevance for different types of psychopathology. Moreover, the interplay of different social-affective responses to trauma exposure in predicting psychopathology is poorly understood. In a sample of N = 1321 trauma-exposed German soldiers, we examined cross-sectional associations of trauma-related social alienation, revenge, guilt and shame with depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and dimensional measures of depression and anxiety. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify possible patterns of social-affective responses to trauma exposure, and their relation to psychopathology. All social-affective responses to trauma exposure predicted current posttraumatic stress disorder, depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder and higher depressive and anxiety symptoms. Three latent classes fitted the data best, reflecting groups with (1) low, (2) moderate and (3) high risk for social-affective responses to trauma exposure. The low-risk group demonstrated the lowest expressions on all psychopathology measures. Trauma-related social alienation, shame, guilt, and revenge are characteristic of individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder, depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. There was little evidence for distinctive patterns of social-affective responses to trauma exposure despite variation in the overall proneness to show social-affective responses. Social-affective responses to trauma exposure could represent promising treatment targets for both cognitive and emotion-focused interventions.

Prevalence of Dysphagia and Risk of Malnutrition in Elderly Living in Nursing Homes.

Swallowing difficulties commonly co-occur with malnutrition in the elderly. However, there is no consensus on which assessment tools to use, and thus reported prevalence varies. The aim of this study was to survey the prevalence of dysphagia and risk of malnutrition in elderly people in nursing homes, evaluate the possible associations between swallowing function and malnutrition and survey whether there were associations between self-perceived function and the results of a screening of dysphagia. A total of 35 residents (aged 67-100years old) without serious cognitive impairment in the general wards of two nursing homes in Gothenburg were investigated. Swallowing ability was assessed with the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) test, self-rated swallowing ability with the 4QT and the Swedish Eating Assessment Tool-10 (S-EAT-10) and risk of malnutrition with the Minimal Eating Observation and Nutrition Form-Version 2 (MEONF-II). Eleven participants (31.4%) exhibited dysphagia according to the GUSS and 10 participants (29.4%) showed moderate or high risk of malnutrition. In total 16 (46%) participants reported abnormal swallowing on 4QT and 14 (40%) participants reported abnormal swallowing on S-EAT-10. However, less than half of these had dysphagia according to the GUSS. No association was found between swallowing ability measured by the GUSS and risk of malnutrition, although a tendency towards a weak association was noted, or self-rated swallowing ability measured by the 4QT and S-EAT-10. The study found that approximately one-third of the tested participants presented with signs of dysphagia as measured with the screening instrument GUSS, even though only a few were known to have any difficulties prior to testing. This highlights that dysphagia is probably more prevalent than patients themselves and caregivers are aware of, thus, screening is of importance, to enable safer nutritional intake.

Prevalence and Burden of Carotid and Femoral Atherosclerosis in Subjects Without Known Cardiovascular Disease in a Large Community Hospital in South-America.

Clinical guidelines recommend measurement of arterial (carotid and femoral) plaque burden by vascular ultrasound (VUS) as a risk modifier in individuals at low or moderate risk without known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). To evaluate the prevalence of carotid and femoral plaques by age and sex, the burden of subclinical atherosclerosis (SA), and its association with classic CVRF in subjects over 30 years of age without ASCVD. We prospectively enrolled 5775 consecutive subjects referred for cardiovascular evaluation and determined the prevalence and burden of SA using 2D-VUS in carotid and femoral arteries. Sixty-one percent were men with a mean age of 51.3 (SD 10.6) years. Overall, plaque prevalence was 51% in carotid arteries, 39.3% in femoral arteries, 62.4% in carotid or femoral arteries, and 37.6% in neither. The prevalence of plaques and SA burden showed an increasing trend with age, being higher in men than in women and starting before the age of 40, both in the carotid and femoral sites. There was also an increasing prevalence of plaques according to the number of CVRF, and interestingly we found a high prevalence of plaques in subjects with 0 or 1 classic CVRF. We observed an increased prevalence and burden of carotid or femoral SA, higher in men, beginning before the fourth decade of life and increasing with age. Despite a significant association with classic CVRF, a significant number of subjects with low CVRF were diagnosed with SA.

Geriatric nutrition risk index: a more powerful index identifying muscle mass loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

To explore the association of geriatric nutrition risk index (GNRI), a traditional albumin-body weight calculation, with myopenia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and compare its ability to identify myopenia with protein indicators. This cross-sectional study was carried out based on a Chinese RA cohort. Clinical data and protein indicators (including albumin, globulin, albumin to globulin ratio, prealbumin, hemoglobin) were collected. GNRI was estimated by serum albumin and body weight. Myopenia was indicated as muscle mass loss measured by bioelectric impedance analysis. There were 789 RA patients included with mean age 52.6 ± 12.6years and 77.6% female. There were 41.3%, 18.0%, 27.5%, 13.2% patients with no (GNRI > 98), low (GNRI 92 to ≤ 98), moderate (GNRI 82 to < 92), and major nutrition-related risk (GNRI < 82). There were 406 (51.5%) RA patients with myopenia, RA patients with major nutrition-related risk had the highest prevalence of myopenia (87.5% vs. 73.3% vs. 50.0% vs. 26.1%). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that compared with no risk, RA patients with low (OR = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.86-5.61), moderate (OR = 9.56, 95% CI: 5.70-16.01), and major nutrition-related risk (OR = 28.91, 95% CI: 13.54-61.71) were associated with higher prevalence of myopenia. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that GNRI (AUC = 0.79) performed a better identifiable ability toward myopenia than serum albumin (AUC = 0.66) or others indicators (AUC range 0.59 to 0.65), respectively. GNRI, an objective and convenient albumin-weight index, may be preferable for identifying myopenia in RA patients. Key Points • We firstly elucidated the association of GNRI with muscle mass loss among RA patients, and compared its ability to identify muscle mass loss with serum albumin or other protein indicators. • Major nutrition-related risk identified by GNRI showed the highest risk of muscle mass loss, GNRI demonstrated a greater ability to identify myopenia in RA patients. which indicated GNRI was an objective and convenient albumin-weight index to identify myopenia in RA patients.

Occurrence, potential sources, and ecological risks of traditional and novel organophosphate esters in facility agriculture soils: A case study in Beijing, China

Although traditional organophosphate esters (OPEs) in soils have attracted widespread interest, there is little information on novel OPEs (NOPEs), especially in facility agriculture soils. In this work, we surveyed 11 traditional OPEs, four NOPEs, and four corresponding organophosphite antioxidant precursors (OPAs) for the NOPEs in soil samples collected from facility greenhouses and open fields. The median summed concentrations of traditional OPEs and NOPEs were 14.1 μg/kg (range: 5.38–115 μg/kg) and 702 μg/kg (range: 348–1952 μg/kg), respectively, in film-mulched soils from greenhouses. These concentrations were much higher than those in soils without mulch films, which suggests that OPEs in soils are associated with plastic mulch films. Tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate, which is a NOPE produced by oxidation of (2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite, was the predominant congener in farmland soils, with concentrations several orders of magnitude greater than those of traditional OPEs. Comparisons of OPEs in different mulch films and the corresponding mulched soils revealed that degradable and black films caused more severe pollution than polyethylene and white films. Traditional OPEs, including tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate and tricresyl phosphate, exhibited moderate risks in farmland soils, especially in film-mulched soils. NOPEs, including trisnonylphenol phosphate, posed high ecological risks to the terrestrial ecosystem. Risk evaluations should be conducted for a broad range of NOPEs in the environment.

(076) Hyaluronic Acid Injection of Penis for Management of Premature Ejaculation: A Systematic Review with Single-Arm Meta-Analysis

Abstract Introduction Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most prevalent male sexual dysfunction globally. Pharmacological treatments as the primary mainstay for PE therapy have drawbacks in systemic effect and possible recurrence after drug cessation. In the last few years, there has been a progressive use of hyaluronic acid (HA) injection in Andrology, including its use to prolong ejaculation latency time by increasing penile glans sensitivity. However, no meta-analysis on its efficacy and safety exists. Objective The study aimed to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis to identify the efficacy and safety of HA injection in the penis for treating PE. Methods A systematic search on PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched from inception to May 31, 2023, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis statement. Risk of bias of included study were carried out based on Cochrane ROB2 and ROBINS-I tools. Intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) was considered the primary outcome, whereas satisfaction and complication rate were the secondary outcomes. Pooled rate and mean difference with matching 95% confidence level intervals (CIs) in the random effect model were applied in analysis using STATA 18.0 and RevMan 5.4. To ensure the impact of each study, a leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was performed. Results Of the 60 studies identified, three clinical trials and six observational studies with low and moderate risk of bias met the inclusion criteria. A total of 616 participants were eligible for meta-analysis. The results found that HA injection, with different techniques, can significantly increase IELT by 239.78 (95% CI 147.14 – 332.43), 202.76 (95% CI 121.86 – 283.66), 164.62 (95% CI 112.19 – 217.06), and 189.01 (95% CI 71.74 – 306.28) seconds at 1, 3, 6, and ≥12 months follow-up. Despite significant heterogeneity among the studies, the sensitivity analysis results were unaffected by the removal of any of the articles. As for safety, the most commonly reported complications were pain, ecchymosis, and papule formation with pooled incidence of 19% (95% CI: 15% – 24%), 8% (95% CI: 5% – 13%), and 5% (95% CI: 3% – 8%), respectively. The majority of adverse events were mild, temporary, and self-limited, although a single case of skin necrosis and vascular emboli had been reported. In addition, patients and their partners also reported increased satisfaction after HA injection. Conclusions HA injection in the penile can effectively prolong the ejaculation time by at least a year with tolerable adverse events. Nevertheless, the optimal injection technique, ideal patient candidate, and long-term outcome still need to be determined through additional well-designed trials. Disclosure No.

Influence of stress-specific interventions on biomarker levels and cognitive function in cancer patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cancer patients' psycho-physiological health is seriously affected by long-term exposure to stress. Many studies have explored the impact of stress-specific interventions on cancer patients' biomarker levels and cognitive functions. However, the current research findings are inconsistent, and their statistical power is limited by the small samples. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to verify the effect of stress-specific interventions on cancer patients. The literature involved nine databases from the inception until January 13, 2024, extracted 19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Review Manager (RevMan) 5.4 software was used to perform a meta-analysis, and the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool (RoB2) was utilized for quality evaluation. Nine RCTs were assessed as having a low risk of bias, and others had a moderate risk. The results showed that stress-specific interventions had beneficial effects on patients' subjective cognition but uncertain impacts on their executive function, tumour necrosis factor-α level, morning cortisol level, and no effect on cortisol at other times, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-8, IL-6, IL-1, and C-reactive protein. More rigorous studies are required to elucidate the influence of stress-specific interventions on biomarker levels. The potential mechanism by which stress-specific interventions affect the cancer patient's cognitive function remains unclear.

Efficacy and safety of established and off-label ADHD drug therapies for cognitive impairment or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in bipolar disorder: A systematic review by the ISBD Targeting Cognition Task Force.

Abnormalities in dopamine and norepinephrine signaling are implicated in cognitive impairments in bipolar disorder (BD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This systematic review by the ISBD Targeting Cognition Task Force therefore aimed to investigate the possible benefits on cognition and/or ADHD symptoms and safety of established and off-label ADHD therapies in BD. We included studies of ADHD medications in BD patients, which involved cognitive and/or safety measures. We followed the procedures of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 statement. Searches were conducted on PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO from inception until June 2023. Two authors reviewed the studies independently using the Revised Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool for Randomized trials. Seventeen studies were identified (N = 2136), investigating armodafinil (k = 4, N = 1581), methylphenidate (k = 4, N = 84), bupropion (k = 4, n = 249), clonidine (k = 1, n = 70), lisdexamphetamine (k = 1, n = 25), mixed amphetamine salts (k = 1, n = 30), or modafinil (k = 2, n = 97). Three studies investigated cognition, four ADHD symptoms, and 10 the safety. Three studies found treatment-related ADHD symptom reduction: twoinvolved methylphenidate and one amphetamine salts. One study found a trend towards pro-cognitive effects of modafinil on some cognitive domains. No increased risk of (hypo)mania was observed. Five studies had low risk of bias, eleven a moderate risk, and onea serious risk of bias. Methylphenidate or mixed amphetamine salts may improve ADHD symptoms in BD. However, there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness on cognition. The medications produced no increased mania risk when used alongside mood stabilizers. Further robust studies are needed to assess cognition in BD patients receiving psychostimulant treatment alongside mood stabilizers.

Assessment of the Effects of the Schroth Method in Individuals with Idiopathic Scoliosis. A Systematic Review

Assessment of the Effects of the Schroth Method in Individuals with Idiopathic Scoliosis. A Systematic Review

Spatial distribution, source identification, ecological risk assessment, and air–seawater/seawater– Sediment exchange rates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Pars special economic energy zone, Iran

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been introduced as major pollutants released by the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. Against this background, the present study examined the coastal air, seawater, and sediments in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ), Iran, in terms of pollution caused by such compounds. Considering the industrial facilities and residential areas in this region, the total suspended particulate (TSP), seawater, and sediments were sampled (n = 10) and then analyzed over the course of two seasons via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The total concentrations in the TSP, seawater, and sediments were found to be in the range of 346-739ngPAH/gTSP, ND-84.87 µg/L, and ND–306.7 ngg−1(dw), respectively. The positive correlation coefficients between sediment organic matter (OM) and concentrations did not show a significant relationship. Crude oil and its derivatives and biomass-coal combustion were identified as the main sources of pollution. Carcinogenic PAHs (CPAHs) were further detected at much higher concentrations near industrial facilities. Sediment qualityguidelines (SQGs) and risk quotients (RQs) showed that coastal seawater and sediments posed acceptable and moderate ecological risks. According to the fugacity diagrams, the seabed and seawater served as secondary sources of pollution. The total concentration and values obtained in earlier investigations were also comparable. Nonetheless, most maximum points could provide a point-form of the pollutant concentration. Therefore, preventive measures are required to ensure the protection of the environment.

Diabetes risk assessment with Indian Diabetes Risk Score: A cross-sectional study among adults in rural Mandya, Karnataka

Background: Screening for diabetes using the Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) is an inexpensive yet effective way of early diagnosis. Aims and Objectives: The present study was conducted to assess the risk of developing diabetes among individuals in rural field practice areas using IDRS. Materials and Methods: A community-based observational study was conducted among persons aged 20 years and older in the rural field practice area for 2 months. A semi-structured interview schedule, including the “IDRS” questionnaire, was used to obtain the data. Results: Out of 1100 subjects, around 50% were above 50 years, only 38.6% of the subjects had a waist circumference within the normal limits; 73.8% did moderate exercise; 86% of the subjects had no history of diabetes in their parents. The mean IDRS score of the subjects was 44.12±14.33, ranging from 10 to 90. Nearly 2/3rd (69.6%) of them were at moderate risk, and 21.2% were at high risk for developing diabetes. The IDRS score was significantly higher among those with diabetes and hypertension. Conclusion: The majority of the subjects in our study had a moderate to high risk of developing diabetes as per the IDRS.

Occurrence, multiphase partition and risk assessment of organic amine pesticides in drinking water source of Xiang River, China.

The extensive use of organic amine pesticides (OAPs) in agricultural practices has resulted in the contamination of water environments, posing threats to ecosystems and human health. This study focused on the Xiang River (XR), a representative drinking water source, as the research area to investigate the occurrence characteristics of 34 OAPs. Diphenylamine emerged as the most prevalent OAP in surface water due to industrial and agricultural activities, while cycloate dominated in sediments due to cumulative effects. Generally, the concentration of OAPs in a mixed tap water sample was lower than those in surface water samples, indicating OAPs can be removed by water plants to a certain extent. The water-sediment distribution coefficients (kd) of ΣOAPs were much less than 1 L/g, the majority of OAPs maintained relatively high concentrations in water samples instead of accumulating in sediments. Furthermore, risk assessment revealed that carbofuran showed a moderate risk to the aquatic environment, with a risk quotient of 0.23, while other OAPs presented minor risks. This study provided crucial insights for regional pesticide management and control in the XR basin, emphasizing the importance of implementing strategies to minimize the release of OAPs into the environment and protect human health.